By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, September 4, 2026
Photo credit: Garrett Ellwood/USTA
NEW YORK—Slapping her thigh with the palm of her hand, Jessica Pegula looked like a player trying to jump start her legs.
Ultimately, Pegula eradicated a sluggish start with committed closure.
In a clash of former finalists, Pegula fended off Leylah Fernandez 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 to reach the US Open fourth round for the fifth consecutive year.
Confessing she felt “a little lazy” to start, Pegula moved with more urgency in the second and third sets and located her serve that was MIA in the opening set to defeat Fernandez for the fourth time in five meetings.
The third-ranked Pegula, who is in contention to seize the world No. 1 ranking if she captures her maiden major in New York, improved to a WTA-best 48-12 on the season.
“It was really tough today,” Pegula said in her on-court interview. “I always feel like it’s really hard to play her.
“I never feel comfortable playing her. I knew I was going to have to dig deep. She’s a great player so it was really hard.”
The 2024 US Open finalist Pegula served just 31 percent in the first set.
Refining her footwork to get her body behind the ball, Pegula elevated her play in the second and third sets. Overall, Pegula saved eight of 11 break points and double Fernandez’s winner total—26 to 13—on a day in which she needed to pump life into her “lazy” legs.
“I think a lot revolves around serve,” Pegula said. “I feel my serve percentage was bad. I do think she played a little different I wasn’t quite moving my feet up to the ball. I was a little lazy to start off.”
Once Pegula hit her stride, she began taking it to the Canadian left-hander and changing direction effectively down the line.
The match completely turned at 2-all in the second set. Pegula stared down break point and did not blink winning a six-shot rally when Fernandez netted a forehand.
That stand helped Pegula hold and she flicked a drop shot to break for the first time all day seizing a 4-2 second-set lead.
A pulsating 23-shot rally climaxed with a Pegula drive crashing into the tape and dribbling over as the American seized the second set.
The Charleston champion broke for a 3-1 third-set lead then cruised through eight of her last nine points on serve to advance to the round of 16.
Veterans will face off for a quarterfinal spot as Pegula meets Romanian Sorana Cirstea for the second time in a month.
Earlier, Cirstea conquered former Wimbledon finalist Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 6-3 in 75 minutes.
The 19th-seeded Paolini, who missed the entire North American hard-court season recovering from injury, was playing her first tournament since reaching the Wimbledon quarterfinals in July.
Meanwhile, Cirstea, who plans to retire at the end of the year, continues her 2026 renaissance season.
The 16th-seeded Romanian, who reached the Roland Garros quarterfinals in June, beat Paolini for the first time in four meetings.
Pegula edged Cirstea 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 in the Cincinnati Open fourth round last month to take a 3-1 lead in their head-to-head series.
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